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slightly brittle pgs
1st appearance of Dr. Death; 2nd Batman cover app.


Detective #29 remains one of the most difficult early Batman issues to obtain, as both Batman's second cover appearance and just his third appearance in the comics. In addition to the historical significance, Bob Kane's classic cover also portrays the Caped Crusader's first brawl with a proper supervillain. Dr. Karl Hellfern, aka Doctor Death, creates a powerful poison that he'll release upon Gotham City if the wealthiest citizens don't meet his demands. Collectors are also appreciative of how Kane is showing off the obvious influence that pioneering horror cinema had on his nocturnal creation. It's well documented that the early Batman stories took on a lighter tone as the Caped Crusader took on his young sidekick. This issue, however, has plenty of pulp elements such as Batman taking a bullet to the shoulder. The scarcity of these ground-zero Dark Knight Detective issues has collectors taking notice whenever these classics come up for auction.
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